Bittermens' Amere Sauvage Will Fk You Up Like a Baby Tasting Its First Lemon

"Amere Sauvage" sounds so exotic, so romantic, so full of drama. But know what? It's crazy bitter. Like an army of crushed up bugs sent to destroy your tongue.

This isn't necessarily a bad thing, especially when the flavor is wielded by St. John Frizell, owner of Brooklyn restaurant Fort Defiance. He uses the liqueur, which is made from yellow gentian root by artisanal spirits company Bittermens, in a cocktail called The Dagger with gin and Cocci Americano.

So maybe tasting Amere Sauvage all on its own (hey, we had to) made us feel like these babies. But mixed into a well-balanced cocktail, we're into it.